System of traveling transfer-cranes



(No Model.)

W. LOWE.

SYSTEM 0F TRAVELING TRANSFER GRANES. No. 310,449. Patented Jan. 6, 1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM LOVE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

SYSTEM OF TRAVELING TRANSFER-CRANES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,449, dated January 6, 1885.

Application filed November-1d, ISS-i. (No model.)

. following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to devise a `system or" traveling cranes which shall be simplein construction-and economical in cost, and which shall be so constructed and arranged that trolleys, carriages, or traveling blocks may be transferred from one crane to another, or to stationary tramways, or from stationary tramways to a crane without depositing the load, without loss of time, and without the use of greater power than is required to move a trolley or carriage upon a tramway.

Heretofore traveling cranes have been used that spanned an entire workshop; also, stationary and walking swinging cranes with trolleys or carriages traveling upon their arms. Both of these systems, however, permit the handling of but one load at a time within the space covered, and in case the load is to be transferred it must be carried to the limit ot' one crane, deposited, and released by that crane before it can be picked up by another crane or a carriage upon a tramway. Both systems, moreover, are expensive to construct. Still another system ot' moving heavy weights is to erect a -system of overhead tracks or tramways, and provide switches by means of which a traveling carriage may be transferred from one track to another. rlhis system also is object-ionable on account of its greater iirst cost. W'ith this system transfers from one track to another can only be made by manipulation of switches, and it is impossible without a perl'ect net-work of tracks and switches to take up, and, above all to deposit, the load at any particular place that may be desired.

In order to obviate the objections to the various systems now in use, I have devised the simple and novel system of transfer-cranes which Iwill now describe, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in'which* Figure l is a front elevation of a crane in position to transfer the trolley to a stationary tramway. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of two cranes placed side by side and locked together, so that the trolley may be transferred from one crane to the other; and Fig. 3, a crosssection on the line rm in Fig. 2, with one of the supporting-beams and the trolley In elevation.

Similar letters indicate the same parts 1n all the figures.

A indicates supporting-beams, which may be suspended, att-ached to columns, or secured in any suitable manner; and B, tracks upon which cranes Crun. C are the cianewheels, rigidly secured to a shaft, C2, upon which/Isa wheel, C3, over which a chain, D, passes, .by which the crane is moved in either direction upon the track. rlhese parts are all of ordinary construction and form no part of my present invention.y v

Ci represents tracks carried by or forming part of the cranes. These tracks are preferably placed transversely to the line of movement of the cranes, and are all arranged upon thesame horizontal plane,so that when brought into line they will register with each other.

E represents stationary tracks or tramways, which lie in the same horizontal plane as tracks Ct, and register therewith when brought Into line.

F is a trolley, carriage, or traveling block` adapted to run upon tracks C* and E.

G is the ordinary chain by which the trolley is moved along upon the tracks, and II the usual lifting-chain.

Any number of trolleys, carriages, or blocks may be used, the construction of which forms no part of my present invention.

I represents bolts which slide in ways Is, by which the cranes may be locked together; or a crane may be locked in such position that the trolley may readily pass from one oi` the crane-tracks C1 to another crane-track, or to a stationary track, E, or vice versa.

It should be understood that Ido not linnt myself to the specific construction shown, as the shape and general arrangement of the parts may be greatly varied without departing from the spirit of my invention, theglst of which lies in the broad idea of a Seri es of simple and inexpensive traveling cranes, or

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cranes and stationary tramways, so construct-- ed that the trolleys or carriages may be passed from one erane or tramway to another erano or tramway without depositing the load and without loss of time. The cranes all run independently of each other, but when locked. together two or more cranes may be operated as one crane.

The system may be operated equally well by hand or by power.

The cheapness and ease or" management of this system, together with the fact that more than one load maybe handled at a time within the space covered by the system, make it especially adapted to the requirements of machine-shops, foundries, mills, warehouses, &c.

l claim- 1. The combination, substantially as before g freely from one crane to another.

'3. The combination of traveling cranes carrying tracks, which register with each other,

' stationary tracks or traniways,which register with those upon the cranes, and trolleys or carriages adapted to travel on said tracks and pass freely from one track to another without depositing the load.

In testimony whereof I affix my si gnature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM LOVE.

`Wit n esses:

A. M. lVoos'rnn, J. T. Woos'rnn. 

